Symons had invited ABC journalist and producer Beverley Wang onto his show to discuss her own newly-launched podcast, It's Not A Race. Her show takes a look at "race, racism, identity, culture and difference" in contemporary Australia.

Red Symons

Symons peppered his interview with questions including "What's the deal with Asians?" and "Are you yellow?" and defended the 2009 Hey, Hey It's Saturday controversy in which a group of Red Faces contestants performed as the Jackson Five in blackface make-up and afro wigs.

The podcast was later deleted from the ABC website, while Symons' fellow ABC colleague Jonathan Green offered the unusual defence that his friend had "never imagined" the podcast "would see the light of day".